In The News

If Iraq Falls

Josef Joffe August 29, 2007
More than 30 years ago, US officials warned that communism would sweep through Asia if the US walked away from its mission in Vietnam. The US did leave Vietnam, the North Vietnamese took control of the nation, and communism did not sweep the continent. But with oil and some ruthless neighbors, Iraq has geopolitical significance. “The world's worst political and religious pathologies combine...

Pakistan at the Crossroads – Part I

Philip H. Gordon August 7, 2007
The US scrambles to manage multiple fronts in its war against terror. The US invaded Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks, forcing the Taliban government to fall. But six years later, the nation is still far from secure and cannot hope to achieve stability without assistance from Pakistan, where Al Qaeda fighters are now said to hide. This two-part series examines various efforts afoot to...

Khomeini's Children

August 3, 2007
The governments of the US and Iran may dismiss each other as great evils, but the youth in Iran may see merit in some American ways. A literate, urbanized youth population, comprising the majority of the post-revolution generation, remains religious and traditional, but is unwilling to forgive Iranian leaders for economic failures. Unemployment, addiction and prostitution are widespread. Although...

A US Alliance With One Man

Paula R. Newberg July 31, 2007
Pakistan, a nuclear power, is in a state of turbulence, confronting instability along its border with Afghanistan and violent militancy in the streets of the capital. A failing government system overshadows and compounds the problems: The Supreme Court reversed a decision by President Pervez Musharraf to dismiss the chief justice; the military has infiltrated the executive branch, society and...

Continued Decline Is Not Inevitable

Marina Ottaway July 31, 2007
Multi-party elections throughout the Middle East may be manipulated, but voters do get a voice. Voters increasingly turn to Islamist parties in seeking reform and satisfying public needs. “Secular parties – that is parties that do not explicitly derive their ideology from Islam, but are not necessarily anti-Islamic or anti-religion – played a central role in Arab politics in the past, writes...

Deconstructing Islamist Participation

Amr Hamzawy July 31, 2007
The participation of Islamic parties in political processes throughout the Arab world has raised concerns about their ability to rule. Amr Hamzawy, a senior associate at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, analyzes three forms of Islamist political parties of the Middle East: Some Islamic regimes possess the means to exercise violence, some support cooperation, while others have fragile...

US Pledges $20 Billion in Arms to Middle East

Robin Wright July 30, 2007
The US announced plans to sell billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, as well as to renew arms deals with Egypt, Israel and other allies. Goals behind the US plan include strengthening ties with allies and countering Iran’s growing influence in the region. However, some allies express concerns about more weapons flowing into the volatile region. Analysts point out that some...